Well-packer attachment for pumps



Jan. 8 1924.

G. A. HUMASON WELL PACKER ATTACHMENT FOR PUMPS Filed July 17 1.922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .v w m n n M a d m a 3 m 0 3 m. M W a Y L L w M m a 00 iv 7 3 3 w 5 .TEQ

Jan. 8, 1924. I 1,479,964

G. A. HUMASON WELL PACKER ATTACHMENT FOR PUMPS Filed July 17, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 GRANVILLE. A. HunAsoK, gmmnu placed in a well Patented J an. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES GRANVILLE A. HUMASON, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

WELL-PACKER ATTACHMENT FOR PUMPS.

Application filed July 17,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GRANVILLE A. HUMA- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, Harris County, Texas, have 1nvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Well-Packer Attachments for Pumps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

y invention relates to an improvement in well packer attachments for pumps.

object of my invention is to provide a closure for the space between the pump and easing below the working barrel so as to out off oil, water, gas and similar fluids from entrance to the space outside the working barrel from the'lower end of the well when the pump is in operation.

Another object is to provide a means for use with a combination air lift and plunger pump which will shut off the passage of air or other lifting fluid beyond the required point in the pump.

Another object is to provide particularly efficient means of projecting a lifting fluid into the pump barrel below the plunger so as to assist in the action of the pump.

These and other objects and advantages will be described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein F 1 is a central longitudinal section through my improved packing device casing. Fig. 2 is a broken view partly in elevation and part in longitudinal section showing the assembly of m device. Fig. 3 is a broken detail of the valve; Figs. 4c and 5 are details of a different form of valve which may be used. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the plane 6-6 of Fig. 3 and Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the plane 77 of Fig. 3.

Mike numerals of reference are applied to like parts in all the views.

In the pumping of oil wells or other deep wells, sometimes it is desirable to close off the entrance of the oil to the space between the tubing and the casing from the bottom of the well. Th's is especially true in the type of fluid lift pump shown in my prior atent No. 1,325,565.

To close 0% the water below the pump her and secured 1922. Serial No. 575,664.

pling, the upper part of which is threaded for attachment to the working barrel and the lower end of which is likewise threaded to a nipplell. The coupling 10 provides a central chamber 12 for the ball valve 13 which is limited in its upper movement by a perforated wall or diaphragm 14 across the said coupling. A valve seat 15 is fitted in the lower end of the coupling and held in place by means of the upper end of the nipple 11.

The lower end of the nipple 11 is connected by a short length of pipe 16 and cou pling 17 to a liner 18. This liner is of especial construction and is threaded adjacent the lower end for attachment to the upper end of the head 19 upon a mandrel 2O tapered at 21 toward the lower end to provide a seat for expanding rings 22 thereon. The liner 18 is bored out longitudinally to provide a central passage 23 therethrou h and a length of pipe 24 projects upward y through the said chamber to a point on the level of the upper end of the said liner. There is thus provided a central passage 25 through the pipe 24 for the fluid being pumped and an outer chamber 23 for the passage of a lifting fluid to assist in raisin the liquid from the well.

The lifting fluid finds an entrance to the lower end of the chamber 23 through downwardly directed passages 26 in the enlarged lower end of the liner 18 and through up- Wardly directed passages 27 in the upper end of the head 19. The passages 27 lead directly into the chamber 23 but may be closed at their upper ends by a check valve is a ringof the same size as the upper end of the head 19 and is beveled on its lower face to fit within the seat there provided. It is held in position by means of a spring 29 hearing at its lower end in a groove in the upper end of said ring and at its upper end against a flanged ring 30 fixed to the pipe 24 as shown in Fig. 1.

The lower end of the mandrel 20 is threaded at 31 for connection with the upper end 32 of a valve chamber 33. This valve chamber is similar in general construction to the foot valve previously mentioned, havin a ball valve 34 fitting within a seat 35 therec in and locked in position by a liner 36 connected with the lower end of the valve chamat its opposite end by means of a coupling 37 to the strainer 38. On the 28 shown best in Fig. 3. This check valve as will be later explained.

The check valve 28 is my preferred form of valve for this purpose but it is obvious that other forms may be employed and in Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown another embo iment of valve. In this embodiment there is a separate ball 42 at the upper end of each channel 27 and each ball is set within a separate small cage 43 to limit its movement upwardly. To form this construction ll use a plate 44 having therein perforations 45 adapted to register with the openings of the channels 27 7 said valves 42. The cages 43 are fixed to the plate 44, as shown, and the plate is secured to the head 19 by set screws 46 or other similar means.

In Fig. 2 T have shown the arrangement of pipes at the upper end of the well. The casing 8 is secured to a casing head 47 having two branching inlet pipes 48 and 49 thereon. These plpes have hand-operated valves 50 therein by means of which said pipes may be closed as desired. The pipes 48 and 49 may be connected to other pipes leading to a source or sources of fluid under pressure. Thus, compressed air, steam or some liquid may be pumped under pressure into the casing as desired. The tubing 9 extends upwardly -through a stufling box 51 in the casing. head and is secured to a head or coupling 52 having a stuffing box 53 therein through which a polished rod 54 is adapted to reciprocate. Branching pipes 55 and 56 furnish outlets for the 011 being pumped. Each pipe leads to a separate storage and may be closed by hand valves 57. in the usual manner.

At the lower end of the working-barrel 9 is a plunger 58 of the usual construction, adapted to be reciprocated by means of a sucker rod 59 attached to the polished rod 54.

When it is desired to pump a well by means of my invention the devlce is assembled as shown in Fig. 1 and previously described. The air lift is connected below the foot valve and the acker below the air lift device and the strainer is secured below the packer. The installation is then introduced into the well to the desired point. This will ordinarily place the strainer in the casing at a point adjacent the screen 41. When in this position the tubing is rotated so as to screw the mandrel 20 downwardly into the upper end of'the valve chamber 32 so as to force the packing rings 22 upwardly along the tapered surface of the mandrel. To make this rotation somewhat easier I have shown a ring or washer 60 having a and also forming seats for neraeea lower end rounded to fit against a similar washer or ring 61. These washers space the rings away from the coupling 32 and allow a more ready rotation of the mandrel relative to. the coupling. As the mandrel is screwed downwardly the rings are forced upwardly against the action of the spring 20 and are thereby expanded outwardlyuntil the space between the central mandrel and 'the casing is entirely closed. During the time that the mandrel is being screwed downwardly into the coupling members below the same the springs 40 will prevent the rotationof the said coupling members so that the .tightening of the rings may be readily accomplished. The pump is then 0 erated within the working barrel 9 and liquid within the wellv will be pumped upwardly past the valves 34 and 13 to the surface in the usual manner and will find an outlet thru either of the pipes 55 or 56 as desired. 1

When it is found desirable some lifting fluid such as air or steam may be forced downwardly outside of the working barrel and within the casing to channels 26 below the working barrel. The passage of this fluid beyond the packer will be entirely prevented and the said lifting fluid will be thereby forced to pass through channels 26 and past the valve 28 into the chamber 23, and will thus rise up through the column of liquid to the surface and assist in raising the said fluid from the well. The arrangement of the pipes 48 and 49 at the upper end of the casing and the difierent connections with these pipes will make it possible to use any desired lifting fluid which may be most fitted for the purpose. The check valve 28 will prevent the passage of liquid backwardly through the channels 26 and as will be obvious either the form of valve as shown at 28 or the form of valve shown at 42 may be used as found most convenient and desirable.

The combination of the packer with the fluid lift is found the most eficient method of accomplishing the pumping of the well as herein shown. It is apparent however that this packer may be used to advantage with other forms of pump and ll do not wish to be confined to the use of this packer with the particular type of pump shown and described.

The advantages of this arrangement will be a parent to one skilled in the art without furt er description.

What ll claim is new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Tn a device of the character described, a pump barrel, a footvalve thereon, a plunger in said pump barrel, a strainer, connections providing a passage for oil from said strainer to said standing valve, means to introduce a lifting fluid under pressure its ire

to said passage comprising a liner having perforations at the lower end, a check valve covering said perforations and a packer below said perforated liner.

2. In a device of the character described a pump barrel, a standing valve thereon, a liner connected with the said standing valve, a tubular member to which said liner is connected, there being valve-controlled channels in said liner and member to permit the passage of fluid from without the pump barrel to the interior of said liner, a packer adapted to close the space outside said tubular member whereby lifting fluid outside said pump barrel is directed into said channels in the manner described.

3. In a device of the character described the combination of a well casing, a pump barrel, a foot valve thereon, a reciprocable plunger in said barrel, a suction pipe below said standing valve, inlet means to allow entrance of lifting fluid to said pipe, means to close the space between said pipe and said casing below said inlet means, and means to force fluid down in said casing to said suction pipe in the manner described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pump barrel, a foot valve thereon, a means to close the space outside said pump barrel below said foot valve and means to force lifting fluid down outside said pump barrel to a point below said foot valve and up with the fluid being pumped.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature,.this the 12th day of July, A. D.

GRANVILLE A. HUMASON.

plunger in said barrel, 7 

